By Mutsa Connie Homera
Former Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi has been acquitted of criminal abuse of office charges after the High Court of Zimbabwe ruled that the State failed to prove a prima facie case for his conviction.
The case was presided over by Justice Benjamin Chikowero, who found that while the prosecution proved Mzembi held public office at the time, it failed to establish the key elements required to prove criminal abuse of duty beyond reasonable doubt.
Mzembi had been accused of improperly facilitating the distribution of public television sets to several churches, including UFIC, PHD Ministries, and ZCC, during his tenure as Tourism Minister.
The State argued that the donations amounted to abuse of public resources and caused prejudice to government.
However, the court heard that several witnesses could not directly link Mzembi to the authorisation of the alleged donations.
Some admitted they had no direct involvement in the process, while others confirmed that the television sets remained government property and were still recorded in ministry inventories.
Justice Chikowero noted in his ruling that the prosecution’s case was further weakened by its failure to call key witnesses who could have clarified how the distribution was approved.
“The absence of crucial testimony significantly weakened the State’s case,” the judge said, adding that the evidence presented contained gaps that could not be ignored.
The court also raised concerns about the quality of investigations, with Justice Chikowero stating that inconsistencies in the evidence reduced its reliability.
He further pointed out that documentary records suggested the distribution process had been handled at ministry level, not as a personal initiative by Mzembi.
In his defence, Mzembi argued that the television set distribution was part of a broader government programme aimed at reviving Zimbabwe’s tourism sector following the 2008 political and economic crisis.
He told the court the initiative began during preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when government established fan parks to promote unity, and that the equipment was later repurposed to support religious tourism.
Mzembi further stated that the programme was implemented with the knowledge and support of senior government officials under the Government of National Unity and involved multiple ministries.
He also argued that the initiative contributed to tourism recovery, with improved arrivals and revenue recorded by the time he left office in 2017.
After considering all the evidence presented before it, Justice Benjamin Chikowero delivered his ruling that the State had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and the accused was found not guilty.
Mzembi was therefore officially acquitted, bringing to an end a long-running case that had attracted significant public and political attention in Zimbabwe.
